How To Create An Ecommerce Business From Home

Ecommerce booming with online retail sales estimated to grow to more than $600 billion in the U.S. by 2021. If you want to start an online home commerce business, it could be quite profitable if done right. In fact, selling products online is easy to do. Simply develop an ecommerce site and have a strong marketing strategy.

Ready to get your piece of the online retail sales pie? Here are a few important aspects to consider when it comes to ecommerce.

Finding Your Ecommerce Products

There are a number of products that you can sell online, but if you have a passion for certain products, you very well could sell more than you expect. You need to consider the factor of longevity as well.

If you’re not feeling passionate about the products you sell, there’s a chance that you won’t stay motivated long enough to grow your ecommerce business at home effectively.

For example, if you love arts and crafts, you may want to sell products that you can relate to as a consumer. Selling products in a niche you love will also help you create detailed and exciting listings that will entice your target audience to buy.

Only Work With Credible Manufacturers

When you have a good idea of which products you want to sell online, it’s time to enlist the help of a manufacturer. Ecommerce is a highly competitive space, depending on your chosen niche, so choosing a manufacturer that offers low bulk pricing and quick fulfillment is an absolute must.

Manufacturer sites, like Alibaba can be a great way to get started. You could also try drop shipping platforms, like AliExpress. These sites are great for new ecommerce business owners who have limited space.

You can list products on your ecommerce site and then drop ship items to your customers directly from your partnering manufacturer. No warehouse space needed. Just be sure they have a good track record for shipping, because if your customers get items late, you will be spending a ton of time on customer support.

Make Website Set Up Easy

It is time to focus on ecommerce website design. First, search for a hosting service that offers a free domain registration, as well as one that is WordPress compatible. This lets you to leverage plugins that can make developing your site a much easier endeavor.

Finding the right host is tough, because there are a lot of hosting providers out there. Find a credible website host and be sure you know the different types of servers available. For instance, maybe you will be better off with a Virtual Private Server (VPS) plan over a shared server one.

“Neither one is inherently better than the other — it all depends on your website’s unique requirements. You may need super-tight security, lightning-fast speed, a low price point, or scalable resources, among other considerations,” Megan Hendrickson of DreamHost noted.

Start Marketing Your Ecommerce Site Right Away

Marketing will always be important, but especially so for your home-based ecommerce business. The goal of an online business is to drive traffic, and having a detailed marketing strategy in place will make this happen.

Social media marketing is also important. Create a social calendar filled with potential posts about products, giveaways, and discounts. This can compel your customers to visit your social media channels more often, and eventually visit your website to make a purchase.

Always consider your target audience when coming up with a marketing strategy. For instance, if your target audience is women, think Instagram and Pinterest. Pinterest users are over 80 percent women. When you target your marketing, you may be able to stay clear of spending money on costly ads.

Research Ecommerce SEO Tactics

SEO is critical to the success of your ecommerce business. It’s not too difficult if you know a few SEO tactics like:

Have an H1 page title

Have section H2 tags

Compress product images

Write unique product descriptions

Use bullet points

Be mobile-friendly

An optimized ecommerce website with exceptional SEO tactics in place, you will drive more organic traffic to your business, despite running it from your home.

Wrapping Up . . .

Starting an ecommerce business from home can be rewarding. You can do something you love while generating a nice little passive income. Some ecommerce sites can even become a full-time gig if done right.

The above tips and tricks can get your home-based ecommerce business moving in the right direction. Stay passionate and put the work in for growth and success. Be unique and you will find online success.

David Allred has been working from home as an internet marketer, blogger and serial entrepreneur for nearly a decade. In addition to writing occasionally on GoodIdeasandTips, he spends most of his time with his family, volunteer coaching, hooping it up or eating cookies.